1917 saw the entry of America into World War One, the result of Germany’s use of unrestricted submarine warfare. 1917 also saw the start of the Battle of Passchendaele, also known as the Third Battle of Ypres.

 

January 11th: Saboteurs destroyed an ammunition plant in New Jersey.

 

January 19th: The Zimmerman telegram was sent, intercepted by the British and passed on to the Americans.

 

January 22nd: Woodrow Wilson made his “peace without victory” speech to the Senate.

 

January 31st: Germany informed America and other neutrals that she would resume unrestricted submarine warfare

 

February 1st: Germany resumed its unrestricted submarine warfare campaign.

 

February 3rd: The US grain ship “Housatonic” was sunk by a U-boat and Wilson severed diplomatic ties with Germany.

 

February 10th: The first use of the convoy system for British merchant ships taking coal to France.

 

February 25th: The Cunard liner “Laconia” was sunk by a U-boat and four US citizens died. Wilson referred to this as “an overt act”.

 

March 12th: President Wilson ordered the arming of US merchant ships. Russian troops mutinied and joined demonstrators in Petrograd.

 

March 14th: Provisional Government, headed by Prince Lvov, proclaimed in Russia.

 

March 15th: Tsar Nicholas II abdicated.

 

March 20th: Preliminary bombardment for the Arras assault started.

 

April 6th: America declared war on Germany.

 

April 16th: France launched the unsuccessful Nivelle Offensive. Lenin returned to Russia from Switzerland.

 

April 17th: First signs of a mutiny in the French Army witnessed at Aisne.

 

April 20th: Nivelle admitted that his offensive had failed in its object but the attacks continued until May 9th.

 

May 2nd: The first US destroyer flotilla arrived at Queenstown, Ireland.

 

May 10th: First use of the convoy system for an Atlantic crossing.

 

May 15th: Pétain replaced Nivelle as French commander-in-chief.

 

May 18th: The Compulsory Service Act was introduced in America.

 

May 19th: Russia’s Provisional Government stated that it would not seek a separate peace settlement with Germany and Austria.

 

May 27th: French troops refused to obey orders as the mutiny spread.

 

June 1st: A whole regiment mutinied at Missy-aux-Bois.

 

June 17th: Gotha bombers bombed London. 158 were killed with 425 wounded. – the worst British civilian casualties of the war.

 

June 25th: The first contingent of US troops landed in France.

 

June 27th: General Edmund Allenby was appointed commander of British forces in Palestine.

 

July 31st: Start of the Battle of Passchendaele (Third Battle of Ypres).

 

August 21st: A Sopwith Pup, launched from the light cruiser ‘Yarmouth’ shot down Zeppelin L23 over the North Sea.

 

September 20th: British 2nd army launched an attacked along the Menin Road.

 

September 26th: British troops launched an attack on Polygon Wood.

 

October 12th: ANZAC forces made limited progress at Passchendaele.

 

October 24th: Start of the Battle of Caporetto, which ended on October 30th.

 

November 6th: Britain launched a major offensive on the Western Front and captured Passchendaele. Lenin took power in Russia with the Bolsheviks in charge of Moscow and Petrograd but not much else.

 

November 20th: Start of the Battle of Cambrai; British used tanks en masse and made significant gains.

 

November 21st: The hospital ship “Britannic” was sunk by a mine in the Eastern Mediterranean; at 47,000 tons the “Britannic” was the largest ship to be sunk by a mine.

 

November 26th: Russia requested an armistice with the Germans.

 

November 30th: A German counter-offensive took back much of the land captured by the Allies.

 

December 4th: Battle of Cambrai ended.

 

December 5th: An armistice was signed between Germany and Russia.

 

December 7th: A squadron of US battleships arrived at Scapa Flow.

 

December 9th: Britain captured Jerusalem from the Turks.

 

December 11th: General Allenby, commander of British forces in Palestine, entered Jerusalem.

 

December 15th: Russia and Germany signed an armistice.

 

December 22nd: Peace talks between Germany and Russia started at Brest-Litovsk.

 

1914   1915   1916   1918

 

April 2009